TANROW, June 13, 2008 (CWNews.com/LifeSiteNews.com) – A Polish volleyball star who was buried on June 9 is being compared by local Catholics to Blessed Gianna Beretta Molla because of her heroic sacrifice for her unborn child.
Agata Mroz, who was originally known for her athletic prowess, was buried in her hometown of Tarnow. Mroz was pregnant with her first child when doctors discovered she had a fatal case of leukemia. After consulting with her husband, Mroz delayed a bone-marrow transplant until after she gave birth to her daughter Liliana on April 4, 2008.
Polish fans dubbed the national team which Mroz led the “Golden Girls,” due to their looks and their successes in international competitions. The national team won the European women’s volleyball championship in 2003 and 2005.
Auxiliary Bishop Marian Florczyk of Kielce, Poland has said that Mroz’s testimony is an example of “love of life, motherhood, the desire to give life, the heroic love of an unborn child.” On June 4, a few hours after Mroz’s death, Polish President Lech Kaczynski announced that she will be posthumously awarded the Polonia Restituta, one of Poland’s highest awards for extraordinary and distinguished service.